Totally Devoted
by Shell Bell
Summary: Ryoko plays a harmless joke that causes a lot of heartache...please read and review!
1. Default Chapter

Totally Devoted  
By: Shell Bell  
Chapter One:  
Only Kidding  
  
  
  
  
Princess Aieka descended the stairs of the Musaki household with her usual show of grace, her red-violet eyes quickly finding Tenchi at the table, with Ryoko all over him.   
Aieka frowned, ever so slightly, not enough to mar her dignified look of a princess. Normally she would have screamed at the unashamed space pirate to get off of him, but after the disturbing news her mother had passed onto her last night, she didn't feel up to the challenge.   
When Washu had called her down to her lab late last night, she had been expecting her father, since it was normally him who contacted her, but to her surprise it had been her mother, looking very distressed.  
"Mommy? What's the matter?" She had asked. Although it was late, and Aieka hadn't seen her mother in so long, she still remembered to call her "mommy". Her mother wiped her eyes and blew her nose nosily in a tissue.   
"Aieka, your father just announced your engagement to Hisho. You remember him. He was the handsome one that I thought looked evil?" Aieka remembered him well. Hisho was deadly handsome. He had dark purple hair that had been pulled back in the authentic Jurain style and although he was pleasing to look upon, his eyes were cold. He had no expression in them, they were just cold and hard like stone.   
Aieka shuttered even now as she made her way to the table. The thought of marrying him-having children with him horrified her, and yet she knew she had no choice. As heir to Jurai's throne, she couldn't run out on her responsibilities. Doing so would leave Sasami in her place and Aieka could never allow anything to happen to her beloved little sister.  
" Hey! Princess! Me and Tenchi just announced it this morning!" Ryoko called out to her as she took her place at the table, folding her hands neatly in her lap. She stole a quick glance at Tenchi, for once he didn't seem to be struggling to get out of Ryoko's grasp. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it.   
Aieka felt her heart ache inside of her, and dimly pushed it to the side, intent on not allowing their embrace to hurt her. " Announced what, Ryoko?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly. She picked up the glass of water sitting by her place and took a small sip of it, holding on to it tightly.  
Ryoko grinned evilly, pulling Tenchi closer. He grinned slightly and wrapped his arm around her waist. "We're getting married!"   
The glass in Aieka's hand dropped and shattered on the ground beside her. She lowered her head, clenching handfuls of her dress in her trembling hands. Her long purple hair covered her shoulders like a curtain and her bangs fell across her eyes, hiding them.  
A pain ripped at her heart like a monster she had never felt before, and desperate to contain it inside her, she pressed both hands to her chest. She must not cry out, she must not. Aieka bit her lower lip stubbornly, keeping the hot tears in her eyes from falling down her face. She must not let them see how much she was hurt. She had to be strong.   
Then, ignoring the immense pain in her heart, she forced a smile to her lips, and raised her head, looking Ryoko in the eyes. " I am very happy for you, Miss Ryoko. Truly."  
Ryoko looked startled at the emotion in Aieka's eyes, but she didn't say anything.  
Aieka stood up unsteadily, quickly catching her balance on Sasami's shoulder. She pulled back her hand and held them clenched at her sides, feeling the slight pain of her nails digging into her palms, but she ignored it. It was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.  
" I came down to tell you that I received a call last night from my mother. It seems that I am needed at home. My father has engaged me to a man I have." She paused quickly, voice quavering, " I have long since admired. I am to leave early tomorrow morning. Sasami may stay here or come with me, my father has left the choice up to her." Aieka stopped, then met Tenchi's eyes." Thank you for your hospitality to me, allowing me to stay in your home. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you." She bowed to him and Ryoko, trying desperately to keep the pain she was feeling out of her words. "I am very happy for you both. It seems that you have both gotten what you wished for." Aieka straightened and quickly pressed the back of her hand to her mouth to quell the trembling of her lower lip but her hand was shaking also. " Excuse me" She managed to choke out before spinning around, and running barefooted outside. Ryoko winced visibly when Aieka stepped on the broken glass. Aieka didn't hear Tenchi call out her name or see him stand up, slipping on his shoes and running after her.  
Ryoko was amazed. " I was only kidding." She murmured quietly, affronted with the glares of Mihoshi, Kione, Sasami and Washu. It had been her plan that she and Tenchi pretend that they were in love and getting married that morning, just to cheer Aieka up because she had seemed a little sad for the past week. Okay, Ryoko admitted silently, maybe it wasn't going to cheer her up, but when she got mad and yelled at Ryoko, the way she had been supposed to, Tenchi had planned on kissing her silent. The kissing part had been his idea. Now that she thought about it, Tenchi had been looking forward to pulling this joke on Aieka. More than Ryoko herself had.   
Ryoko frowned, crossing her arms. The way that Aieka had reacted bewildered her. They had always fought over Tenchi and done things to make the other jealous. It had become a part of life for Ryoko. In fact, she rather looked forward to it everyday. And now that Aieka had announced she was getting married? Married?!   
Aieka wasn't supposed to get married and leave! Or leave and get married! She was supposed to stay here on Earth forever and fight with Ryoko over Tenchi until they got old and gray.   
Ryoko chuckled to herself, imagining Aieka with long gray hair and a walking stick, beating her with it, yelling that Tenchi was hers. Not Ryoko's.   
Ryoko's expression softened. As much as she and Aieka fought and said that they hated each other, Ryoko felt a special bond with Aieka that she had never felt with anyone else before.  
Mind made up to find Aieka and talk her into not leaving, she stood up and disappeared.  
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Aieka ran, arms clenched and pumping her onward.  
The only sound that filled her ears was the sound of her bare feet beating on the cool, hard packed earth and the thundering pound of her own heart.  
She inhaled deeply, and closed her eyes as she ran, letting a tear or two escape from her eyes. The wind stung her cheeks, turning them a flushed red.  
Suddenly, her ankle caught and she tripped, stumbling forward, hearing a snapping sound and then a sharp pain shot up through her left leg. She cried out, bringing her hands up as the ground rushed to meet her.   
But the ground she expected was not there, and with wild eyes she realized that she was going over a cliff, bumping in the branches of tall trees.  
Frantically, she tried to cover her face as branches ripped at her, snagging her dress and scratching her bare arms and legs. She hit one branch after another, breaking through them, groaning in pain as something inside her chest cracked.  
Her eyes widened when she saw the water that she would land in. Wildly, she tried to grab onto the branch of a passing tree and managed to hang onto it for a moment before it broke from her weight and she was sent crashing into the water.  
She gasped and opened her mouth to scream when the ice cold water slapped her body, and inhaled a mouth full of water. Ignoring the aching of her body, she struggled frantically to reach the surface, seeing the sun waving and dancing just above her. She kicked and flailed her arms, running out of air.   
Just when she thought that she wasn't going to be able to reach the surface, the sun, air, she burst upwards, throwing her head back and inhaling the sweet smell of air and hot sunshine.   
Choking and coughing, she pulled herself just out of the water, collapsing in some soft moss. She moaned, closing her eyes. She couldn't feel her leg, and every time she breathed, she felt sharp, stabbing pains in her chest.   
"Oh Tenchi." She murmured, rolling over painfully onto her back, staring up at the blue sky that seemed so high above her. The tears that had been threatening on her all day finally fell from her eyes, leaving trails of wetness to her temples. With a small cry of pain, both physical and emotional, she rolled onto her side, wrapping her arms around her stomach and pulling her uninjured leg up toward her stomach. She sucked in air quickly, to keep from crying out again, and closed her eyes tightly.   
Her thoughts raced from Tenchi to her fianc‚, and briefly she wondered if anyone would miss her before unconsciousness overtook her.   
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To be continued.  
  
Yeah so! What did you think? Like it? Hate it? Hey! And don't get too worked up! This is my first Tenchi fic and I'm working on it. Personally I kind of like it but hey! That may be just me! Anyway let me know what you think of it. If no one likes it or if no one reviews I'm not going to finish it! So HA! Okay!  
  
  
  
  



	2. Sorry guys

I am sorry, really sorry *cowers on the ground for fear of stones and other good stuff being thrown* I know it has been forever and although I have desperately tried to get some time to finish this story, things happened in my life that have made me become very busy. At the time, I am coping with my brother's death. To be honest I have not felt motivated to write, despite all of the kind reviews (and some not so kind but hey, that's part of how we learn and grow as writers, right?) However, I hope you do bear with me. I am currently trying to write the next chapter, although I seem to have come to an abrupt halt mentally in where to go from here. This is why I am now asking most humbly for the assistance from those who enjoy Tenchi as much as I do. If you have read this and really want it to continue, please email me your ideas @ reiningangel13@aol.com. Or, write the next chapter as you think it should be written, email it to me, I'll upload it, giving you full credit. In all honesty, I'm not expecting anyone to reply to this but I still harbor hopes that you do. Thank you for your time and reviews. I'll do my best to continue.*bows gracefully* Ja ne. Shell 


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